No one wants to get rid of Vision and Mayor Gregor Robertson more than I do, so I wholeheartedly agree with Thursday’s editorial. One needs to look no further than Thursday’s news item on our mayor’s frustration that his desire to house all of the homeless has suffered a setback.

I don’t like to see people sleeping on the street anymore than anyone else, but to say that you will end homelessness is like saying you will end poverty, prostitution and a myriad of other afflictions the world has and always will suffer. For the mayor to say that he will end homelessness goes to show you how out of touch he is with life’s realities. All he is doing is putting on a show of what a sensitive, all-caring, all-knowing demagogue he is.

We need the NPA to get moving. In fact, I wish anyone would get moving because anyone would be better than the status quo.

Ed Braun, Vancouver

Parties should band together against Vision

It is scary watching Vision systematically destroying our city on our dime.

I think it’s time for all the other smaller startup parties to join the NPA to give it more strength. If they want to make a difference, perhaps focus on a more balanced city council. Since campaign finance reform is not in the cards for this election, perhaps we need to make the voters realize their one vote is as valuable as any dollars that Vision may receive.

“An elementary school” he stated, “that treats the arts as a province of a few gifted children, or views them only as recreation and entertainment, is a school that needs an infusion of soul. The arts are an essential element of education, just like reading, writing and arithmetic.”

To deny children opportunities to learn about how important the arts are to both the growth of their intellectual and creative capabilities and the evolution of a truly educated and enlightened society is to increase the likelihood of producing, as both physicist Albert Einstein and Apple CEO Steve Jobs firmly believed when they were alive, a one-dimensional, mechanistic, sterile society.

Art, music and theatre are not educational frills.

Ray Arnold, Richmond

Less sympathy

Twenty-four years ago, in the middle of similar “negotiations” between B.C. unionized teachers and Victoria, I was shown a copy of the complete expired teachers’ contract.

Given the impact on B.C.’s budget, I think these contracts should be fully available for public scrutiny. If the current provisions are similar to what I saw back then, taxpayers are going to have more questions for the teachers — and less sympathy.

Dett, as we all called him, was not only the master, but a gentle, caring man, much loved by all who worked at The Province in those days. He was always willing to help, especially we juniors, who really didn’t know a heck of a lot.

During my career as a newspaper photographer he was never far away from my thoughts.

Bob Olsen, Chilliwack

No help for Africa

The Harper government has decided to send six fighter jets and the U.S. wastes no time in moving 600 troops to the borders of the Baltic countries for “training exercises.”

This is all in response to Ukraine dealing with domestic political issues. Yet there is no mention — nor a finger is lifted — for the ethnic cleansing of hundreds of young school girls who have been abducted in South Sudan.

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